1901 Bulgarian parliamentary election

1901 Bulgarian parliamentary election

←  1899 28 January 1901 1902  →
All 167 seats in the National Assembly 84 seats needed for a majority
Turnout	42.74%
Party Leader Vote % Seats +/– People's Party Konstantin Stoilov 18.75 25 +23 People's Liberal Dimitar Grekov 18.40 31 +12 Progressive Liberal Stoyan Danev 16.49 31 +23 Democratic Petko Karavelov 13.75 27 +17 BZNS Yanko Zabunov  [ bg ] 6.33 13 +12 LP (Radoslavists) Vasil Radoslavov 4.23 5 −84 BSDP Dimitar Blagoev 4.11 2 −2 Reformist Party 1.70 5 +5 Ind. Democrats 1.33 2 New Conservative 0.99 2 +1 Independents – 11.30 24 −7 This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below. Prime Minister before Prime Minister after Todor Ivanchov [a] Ivanchov II (Ind. +-LP-R) Petko Karavelov Karavelov IV (DP+PLP)

Parliamentary elections were held in Bulgaria on 28 January 1901 ^[2] to elect members of the XI Ordinary National Assembly. Although the People's Party received the most votes, the People's Liberal Party and the Progressive Liberal Party jointly won the most seats. Voter turnout was 43%. ^[3]

Results

Party		Votes [b]	%	Seats	+/–
	People's Party	149,276	18.75	25	+23
	People's Liberal Party	146,532	18.40	31	+12
	Progressive Liberal Party	131,301	16.49	31	+23
	Democratic Party	109,471	13.75	27	+17
	Bulgarian Agrarian National Union	50,428	6.33	13	+12
	Liberal Party	33,718	4.23	5	–84
	Bulgarian Workers' Social Democratic Party	32,737	4.11	2	–2
	Undetermined	15,310	1.92	0	–
	Reformist Party	13,508	1.70	5	–
	Independent Democrats	10,587	1.33	2	–
	Conservative Party	7,861	0.99	2	+1
	Independent Liberals	4,417	0.55	0	–
	Independent PLP	973	0.12	0	–
	Monarchist-Constitutionalists	135	0.02	0	–
	Independents	89,944	11.30	24	–7
Total		796,198	100.00	167	–2
Valid votes		292,911	84.95
Invalid/blank votes		51,876	15.05
Total votes		344,787	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		806,679	42.74
Source: National Statistical Institute, [4] Nohlen & Stöver

By-elections

Several MPs were elected in more than one constituency and were required to choose which one to represent when the Assembly convened, resulting in nine seats being vacanted. Two MPs died, two resigned their seats to hold national office and the results in seventeen seats were annulled, resulting in 30 vacancies across 20 constituencies. Snap elections were held on 8 April and 7 October 1901. This resulted in the Progressive Liberal Party becoming the largest party with 40 seats. ^[4]

Party		Seats
	Progressive Liberal Party	40
	People's Party	29
	Democratic Party	27
	People's Liberal Party	24
	Independents	19
	Bulgarian Agrarian National Union	12
	Liberal Party	5
	Conservative Party	2
	Bulgarian Workers' Social Democratic Party	2
	Independent Democrats	2
	Reformist Party	1
	Democratic-Republican	1
Total		164
Source: National Statistical Institute [4]

Aftermath

Following the election, Petko Karavelov became prime minister, his fourth government consisted of the DP and the PLP, supported by the People's Party. The government resigned in December 1901, following the Parliament's decision to vote down a proposed French loan by the Pays-Bas Bank by four votes. The deciding votes were several former Democrats in the newly formed Young Democrats Party, later known as the Radical Democratic Party. ^{[5] [6]} Foreign minister Stoyan Danev was appointed prime minister and lead a PLP minority government heading into the subsequent 1902 election.

Notes

1. Independent interior minister Racho Petrov had been appointed as interim Prime Minister three days prior to oversee the election ^[1]
2. Listed is the number of votes received for each party, not the number of individual voters. As most of the 81 constituencies elected more than one MP, most voters cast more than one vote. The number of individual voters was 344 787

References

1. Ivan Ilčev, Valery Kolev, Veselin Yanchev, Bulgarian Parliament and Bulgarian Statehood: 125 Years National Assembly 1879-2005, St. Kliment Ohridski University Press, 2005, p. 71
2. Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p368 ISBN   978-3-8329-5609-7
3. Nohlen & Stöver, p377
4. Statistique des elections des deputes pour la XI-eme Assemblee nationale ordinaire. NSI. 1904. pp. 11, 12, 169.
5. "Политически партии, организации и движения в България и техните лидери" (in Bulgarian).
6. "ДРАМАТИЧНАТА ИСТОРИЯ НА БАНКОВИЯ ЗАЕМ ОТ 1901-1902" . Retrieved 28 August 2025.